Dear Friends,

July 30th marked the deadline for applications to Immigration before the new fee increases take effect.  This has created a very busy July for our staff attorneys, who have been working long hours to finalize and submit applications so that clients do no have to pay the new rates, which nearly triple in some cases.

Client Story
Just Neighbors recently received a call from a former client, Majid.  Majid fled Iran in the 1990s and was granted protection as a refugee by the U.S. government.  He left his country because he was not a Muslim and was not able to practice his faith freely.  A few years ago, Just Neighbors helped Majid become a citizen of the United States. 

Majid is a friendly man who describes himself as a simple, hard-working person that wants to see his family.  He has recently rented space for a hair salon in the Virginia suburbs that will be opening in a few weeks.  This has been a longtime dream of his.
Like many of our clients, Majid has extended family scattered throughout the world – some who successfully fled to other countries and others who remained at home.  This separation has been difficult for Majid who knows it is not safe for him to visit his elderly parents in Iran.  His father was recently laid off and his mother has had to retire.  He last saw his parents twelve years ago. 
As a citizen now, Majid is able to sponsor his parents to come live in the United States.  Just Neighbors, with the help of two volunteers, filled out the necessary paperwork and filed it to Immigration prior to the increase in immigration fees.  We are confident that his parents’ petitions will be approved and that Majid will be reunited with his parents, who can live with him in the United States…. and visit his hair salon.
Around the Office

Seven attorneys and summer associates from the law firm Foley & Lardner assisted several asylees to apply for their green cards through Just Neighbors this month.  (Fees for asylees to naturalize rose from $395 to $1,010 after July 30th-- a difficult burden for our clients to bear). After a one-hour training, the staff members from Foley & Lardner met with asylees from Pakistan, the Sudan, and Somalia to assist them with filling out their green card applications. Thanks to Foley & Lardner’s help, all eligible applications were submitted to Immigration before the deadline.

Just Neighbors Intern Seth Gainer attended “El Salvador Night” at Ossian Hall Park in Annandale to share information about our organization with Salvadorans in the community.  Fairfax County celebrates a different culture every Thursday night this summer at “Braddock Nights” with performances and gatherings from Peru, India, Russia, and more.  For more information, call (703) 425-9300.

Just Neighbors is appreciative that both Fairfax and Arlington Counties will continue to fund our work in the coming fiscal year.  Their support allows us to ensure that our services remain accessible to low-income clients.

We are also grateful for generous contributions from Immanuel Presbyterian Church and Vision of Peace United Methodist Church, both located in McLean.  We have enjoyed opportunities to speak on immigration issues at their worship services and adult education classes and appreciate their financial support as well.

Volunteer of the Month

Just Neighbors would like to recognize Hillary Kosnac as our Volunteer of the Month.  Hillary, an undergraduate student at Allegheny College, has been interning at Just Neighbors throughout the summer.  She has been a phenomenal asset to us, talking with clients on the phone, translating, updating our database, and taking on numerous other tasks.  Unfortunately, she leaves Just Neighbors this week to return to school.  We wish she could stay longer but have appreciated her hard work and cheerful attitude.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Sincerely,

Rob Rutland-Brown
Executive Director